Aglientu, Torre di Vignola

The town, where the fortress is located, was included in the territory of the medieval villa of Vignola, restored in the 19th century. Della Marmora claimed that the name of the town derives from Viniola, an ancient Roman spa.
The tower is 25 m above sea level and allows an excellent view of both the sea and the hinterland; it was also in visual contact with the towers of Capo Testa and the lookout of Monte Rassu.
The tower has a truncated conical shape, a height of 12 m and just as many in diameter. The entrance, open to S, is built with stones and stone lintels, and is located 5.35 m above the ground. The opening leads to a 6 m diameter chamber, equipped with a domed vault and supported by a central pillar. This room made up the casematta and was divided into three sectors with partitions; two of these rooms were equipped with troniers and constituted the quarters of the garrison and the warden. The staircase that leads to the main square was located on the left of the entrance and was carved into the internal masonry. On this terrace you can see some gunboats, the masonry gate that protected the hatch, plus two others in different positions. The tower was made of irregular medium-sized granite ashlars; the wall wall is now visible due to the collapse of the original plaster. The thickness of the parapet, measured in the openings of the gunboats, is 95 cm.
In 1572, a first system of guarding and watching the area was built in the port of Vignola, with men paid by the villages of Bortigiadas and Vignola. At the end of the century, with the creation of the trap, however, the construction of a tower became necessary. The tower was started in 1605 and in September of the same year the first warden was appointed. In the same years, the tenant of the nearby tonnara was allowed to build a rivel at his own expense. The fort was called “Torre de Armas”, that is, “strong”, suitable for heavy defense; in fact, during the 18th century it was equipped with a warden, an gunner and three soldiers. In the following century, the garrison was reduced to only the warden and two towers.
Some documents show that it was restored in 1720 and in 1777, designed by Captain Cochis, it underwent a further renovation. Furthermore, new arrangements were carried out between 1827 and 1828.
The tower remained in operation until the Royal Administration of the Towers was abolished; later, still manned, a masonry staircase was added to it that leads to the hatch.

History of studies
The tower is included in the main works on coastal fortifications in Sardinia.

Bibliography
A. Della Marmora, Itinerary of the Island of Sardinia, Cagliari, Alagna, 1868;
F. Fois, Spanish Towers and Piedmontese Forts in Sardinia, Cagliari, La Voce Sarda, 1981;
G. Montaldo, The Coastal Towers in Sardinia, Sassari, Carlo Delfino, Sassari 1992;
F. Russo, The Coastal Defense of the Kingdom of Sardinia from the 16th to the 19th Century, Rome, Army General Staff, Historical Office, 1992; G. Montaldo, “Forts and Coastal Towers”, in The Fortified Architecture of the Kingdom of Sardinia Central-southern Sardinia. Proceedings of the Study Day, Cagliari October 16, 1999;
M. Rassu, Guide to coastal towers and forts, Cagliari, Artigianarte, Cagliari 2000.

How to get there
To reach the tower, leave the coastal road from Porto Torres to Santa Teresa Gallura, and turn off on the road to Vignola Mare at km 36. The tower can be seen from the port of Vignola, raised on the promontory and located on the left bank of the Vignola River. It only takes 20 minutes to reach it.